How do you say No without saying Yes?

I've been a bit absent from the blogging world as of late. I was reminded of that when I checked my viewership on Google Analytics! Wow!

You know, I have been having a bunch of crazy cool experiences lately that have helped me to shape and refine some of who I am and who I understand God wants me to be. What is crazy is how difficult the "refiner's fire" can be and yet how much more strong and less malleable it can make you.

For a while (2-3 months), God has been taking me on this ride, giving me so many different, clearly divine moments of leadership, pastoring and growing in my own faith. There were so many of these moments in a row and opportunities to gain perspective that it kind of came to view in a mush; a conglomeration of thoughts, emotions and perspective that failed to have much definition.

The last 2 weeks, however, have been extremely clarifying. They have helped me to put some parameters on the thoughts and desires of my heart, helped focus my passion for people and provided me with a timeline in which I had to think about such things. Because of the last couple weeks, I am more confident, more impassioned and even more determined to see God move in my heart and the hearts of students.

All in all, I learned this:

If all you've ever said is, "No," how can you know when to say, "Yes?" If I want to be open to God's call and plan in my life, I need to be ready to say "Yes" to new adventures and opportunities when the possibility arises so I can be confident in saying "No."

Sure, there are going to be moments in my life when it would be disobedient to consider other doors and opportunities that may be in front of me. But, ultimately, we can't completely know, to its fullest extent, the will of God. And so, how can we in the midst of our own sinful, disconnected misunderstanding, completely shut out conversations and opportunities that God may be putting in front of us?

Be Open to Him.
Be Open to what He has for you.
Refuse to say "No" until you've said "Yes" to contemplating His intentions.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6